Though many people in the US, including some Latinx, connect Dia de los Muertos to Mexico, it’s not just a Mexican holiday. When it was started some 3000 years ago, in what is now Mexico, many of the indigenous people in the southern part of Mexico were nomadic, moving up and down the continent, using the isthmus, that is now called Central America, as a bridge between the north and the south.

Rice and beans. Almost every country and culture has its own way of making this simple, yet complicated dish. As a Nicaragüense, I was going to write about the history of Gallo Pinto but, to be honest, there wasn’t much to uncover. What I found was pretty interesting but the path that it led me gave me so much more.

Nia Wilson was the last straw. I know that it shouldn’t have taken so long but it did. She was the last straw in my silence. My silence up to this point was about self-preservation. I thought it was the only way to take care of myself. To help myself heal from the constant bombardment of what’s going on in the world. At one point, one that I can’t put my finger on, it all became too much. I shut down. I hadn’t realized it until I saw the news about Nia all over my Facebook and Instagram feeds.

As we move into hotter, poolside weather, I've been seeing a lot of images and memes regarding "beach bodies". I'm pretty sure we've all heard that term, right? Usually in the context of not being beach body ready or summer body ready. Which usually means that you see yourself as fat and that it's unacceptable to be fat during a time when clothes go from pants to bathing suits.

I had a wonderful conversation with a fellow Latina vegana after one of my yoga classes. We went to have a yummy vegan meal and just talked. It was great to have someone understand the struggle of being vegan, from both sides. I felt it so relevant that I decided to write about the complexity of being a Latina Vegana.

I went sugar free for 30 days. Well, let me clarify I went "added sugar-free" for 30 days because fruits have sugar and I love fruit! And fruits are good for you. I don't care what people say. But you might be thinking, "but Ivonne, you love donuts! How did you survive??" and you would be right. I love donuts and survival was only by a thread.

Spring has finally arrived! I'm pretty excited even though it's been raining nonstop in Oakland since spring sprung. But beyond the changes of the literal season, is the changes of the figurative ones as well. I find that when a new season arrives, it gives me an opportunity to reflect on my life and how I'm living it.

Last month, I participated in an intensive immersion program at Yoga Garden San Francisco to be certified as a yoga teacher. It was an incredible experience and absolutely life changing. I was able to delve deeper into both the physical and mental transformation that yoga provides.